Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe
https://www.rainbownourishments.com/vegan-carrot-cake/Vegan carrot cake which I made on the birthday party. You remember? The one where the birthday girl no even know say e no get egg or butter? That one.
Okay. Listen to me well well.
I wake up that morning, I no even plan to bake, but my sister call me say “Bubby the woman wey you dey cater for, e don turn vegan overnight.” I say wetin? She say yes, she don join that cult. So I no fit use egg, no fit use butter, no fit use milk. Ordinary cake wey I don make one million times, I must learn am again.
So I vex small. I open my fridge, I see carrot wey don stay there for three weeks dey look at me. I say okay. Make I try.
First thing, I grate the carrot. But before that, I wash am. You know how carrot get sand? If you no wash am well, your cake go crunchy like somebody put gravel inside. So wash am. Then use the small side of grater the side wey dey sharp like knife. I grate two cups. My hand red after. But never mind.
Now pineapple. Tin tomato size. I open am. I pour inside sieve. I use my hand squeeze am. The juice dey run down my hand. That juice sweet o but no use am. You must squeeze until the pineapple almost dry like paper. If you no squeeze am, your cake no go bake well. The middle go be like akamu.
Now mix your fake milk. One cup almond milk. Any milk wey no get sugar. Add one spoon vinegar the one wey dem call apple cider. If you no get am, use white vinegar. But apple one better because e no too strong. Leave am for five minutes. E go turn to something wey look like sour milk. That’s your buttermilk. I know e look like poison. But na good poison.
Now get two bowls. One big, one medium. For medium bowl, put your flour two cups. Add baking powder two teaspoon. Baking soda one teaspoon. Salt half teaspoon. Cinnamon two teaspoon. Nutmeg half teaspoon. Mix am with spoon. No special technique. Just mix.
For big bowl, put brown sugar one cup. White sugar half cup. Oil three quarter cup. Vanilla two teaspoon. And that fake buttermilk wey you make. Whisk am. The sugar no go dissolve finish – that’s fine. Just whisk until no big lumps.
Now pour the dry things inside the wet things. Mix. But wait. I dey shout because this one important. DO NOT OVERMIX. Mix small small until you no see dry flour again. If you mix too much, your cake go be like rubber. You go need knife to cut am. So stop when the flour just disappear. Lumps dey okay. I repeat: lumps dey okay.
Now add your carrot wey you grate. Add your pineapple wey you squeeze. Fold am. Fold meaning use spatula, turn am slowly like you dey turn leaf. No rush. Ten times max.
If you want add walnut or raisin or coconut, add am now. But no add too much. Half cup total. If you add more, cake no go rise well.
Now pans. Two round pans – 8 inch. Grease am with oil. Cut paper for the bottom. The paper wey dem call parchment. If you no use paper, the cake go stick and you go dey cry. I don cry before.
Pour batter. Share equally. Oven wey don hot – 350°F. Bake for 32 minutes first. Use toothpick to check. If toothpick come out with wet dough, bake another 3 minutes, then check again. If e come out with small crumbs wey dey stick, done. If e come out clean, you don overbake.
Cool inside pan for 15 minutes. Then remove am, put on wire rack. Remove paper. Leave am to cool completely. Not warm. When you touch am, e must be cold like ice block. If you frost am while e still warm, the frosting go melt and run away. You go see your cake naked.
Now frosting. I no go write much. Get vegan cream cheese. Add powdered sugar. Add small vegan butter. Add vanilla. Beat am until smooth. Put for fridge small before you spread am.
That’s all.
Now bubby, mistakes wey I don make for this same recipe.
Mistake number one. I use bag carrot wey dem don shred. The cake come out dry. That bag carrot na dry cardboard. So always grate fresh.
Mistake number two. I forget to add vinegar to milk. The cake no rise at all. E flat like Ghana must go bag.
Mistake number three. I overmix. The cake be like shoe. My dog no even want chop am.
Mistake number four. I use cold ingredients. The oil congeal and no mix well. So make sure everything dey room temperature. Except the fake milk that one you fit keep for fridge.
Store am for fridge. E last five days. Day two and three sweet pass day one. Freeze without frosting for two months. Wrap with plastic then foil.
